Influence of Structural Features and Nature of Interaction between Minerals on the Selection of Methods for Lead-Bearing Ore Separation

Abstract

The influence of structural characteristics and interaction parameters of minerals on separation method of lead-bearing complex ore in Russia is analyzed. Based on the studies of deep dissociation of minerals under disintegration using Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA), the quantitative distribution of mineral associations in grain-size categories is determined. From the data on mineral dissociation, the series of mineral associations, characteristic of complex ore from some deposits, are defined using milled samples of ore material. It is shown that galena associations with chalcopyrite, fahlore, secondary copper sulphides, sphalerite, pyrite and gangue mostly occur in finely dispersed aggregates with fahlore and, to a lesser degree, with other sulphides. The obtained series of mineral associations make it possible to determine the sequence of dissociation and separation of final-size minerals in the inter-cycle operations during flotation. The primary flotation concentrate contains fahlore, secondary copper sulphides, gold associations, galena and corroded pyrite.